Lawmaker wants CPUC to reject PG&E plan

Assm. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, is urging the California Public Utilities Commission to reject a $2.2 billion plan by PG&E to modernize its pipelines.

Hill says PG&E's proposal would charge ratepayers up to 95 percent of the cost to replace aging pipelines. That means the utility company would profit from the upgrade.

"The PUC should not allow PG&E to force its customers to pick up the tab for work resulting from decades of neglect," Hill said.

PG&E admits ratepayers would pay close to 85 percent of the costs, but the utility says shareholders already paid $1.5 billion in costs related to the San Bruno pipeline explosion in 2010.

"What we're asking ratepayers here is to pay about $2 extra per month per residential customer per our PCEP plan and that plan will allow us to have the safest and most reliable system," PG&E spokesperson Brittany Chord said.

Hill is also promoting a bill that would prohibit PG&E from using ratepayer funds to pay for executive bonuses.